Guns and Gun Control

News about Guns and Gun Control, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Mar. 14, 2015

Francis X Clines Editorial Notebook submits recommendations of panel appointed by Connecticut Gov Dannel Malloy to examine 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School appear both as grim measure of future expectations and in-depth examination of necessary changes; notes failings in gun control and mental health care figure prominently. MORE

Mar. 11, 2015

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it will shelve proposal to ban sale and manufacture of armor-piercing 5.56-millimeter 'M855 green tip' rifle bullet following intense opposition from Republican lawmakers and gun enthusiasts; agency had sought to outlaw bullets because their increasing use in concealable handguns poses threat to police officers. MORE

Mar. 10, 2015

Some experts recommend limiting means by which people commit suicide as effective form of prevention, recognizing impulsive nature of act and offering alternative to common psychological models of suicide prevention; restricting access to guns is one of most emphasized environmental modifications. MORE

Mar. 8, 2015

Editorial supports proposal by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to ban sale and manufacture of 5.56-millimeter steel-core bullet, which can be used in handguns and can pierce body armor and bulletproof vests used by police; criticizes opposition to proposal by Republicans and gun lobby; urges Republicans to instead support bipartisan bill to extend background checks on gun buyers. MORE

Mar. 7, 2015

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column faults Congress for pressuring Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to cease trying to ban body armor-piercing bullets known as 'cop-killing bullets'; accuses Congress of reactionary behavior and bowing to National Rifle Association in opposing sensible measure that could save lives of policemen. MORE

Feb. 27, 2015

Obama administration moves to ban manufacture and sale of popular, armor-piercing bullets for the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, citing threat to police posed by its use in new handguns; move by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives enrages gun-rights advocates and spurs urgent response from the National Rifle Assn; dealers report surge of interest in ammunition ahead of ban. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

Op-Ed article by policy expert Mary Lewis Grow presents evidence that current laws do little to prevent firearms and explosives from falling into the hands of domestic terrorists; calls on legislators to widen category of prohibited purchasers to include those on terror watch list. MORE

Feb. 22, 2015

Editorial criticizes state lawmakers who are attempting to exploit issue of campus sexual assault to pass pro-gun legislation and cynically calling it a solution. MORE

Feb. 19, 2015

Gail Collins Op-Ed column lampoons suggestion by Texas Sen John Cornyn that gun licenses are like driver's licenses and so people with out-of-state gun permits should be able to use them anywhere; points out not every state where it is legal to carry concealed weapons has done enough to check gun holders out; fears best-case scenario is one in which Congress remains too ineffective to pass any such legislation. MORE

Feb. 13, 2015

Connecticut releases draft report of recommendations for preventing school shootings, over two years after Adam Lanza's deadly attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown; recommendations include gun control measures and policies aimed at improving mental health services. MORE

Feb. 11, 2015

Editorial calls attention to report issued by gun safety group Violence Policy Center, which found that of 722 deaths in 544 concealed-carry shootings since 2007, only 16 cases were ruled lawful self-defense; argues that report punctures claims of those who support concealed-carry laws, and presumably only captures fraction of total toll from policies allowing more and more citizens to carry guns. MORE

Feb. 7, 2015

Republican lawmakers in Colorado are attempting to undo gun control measures like expanded background checks, even though efforts are sure to die in Democrat-controlled House and/or face governor's veto; moves come as murder trial for James E Holmes, gunman who killed 12 people inside Aurora movie theater in 2012, is underway. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

Gail Collins Op-Ed column discusses moral lessons surrounding Oscar-nominated movie American Sniper, about Iraq war veteran Chris Kyle; posits film is not only celebration of gun culture, but a cautionary tale; contends American gun lobby has pushed its cause so far that it may be falling off a cliff; says eagerness to water down gun laws in Texas may be waning. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

Wyoming's Republican-led State House passes bill, 42-to-17, to allow people with concealed-gun permits to carry firearms into public schools and government meetings. MORE

Jan. 18, 2015

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column questions why smart gun technology is not more accepted, particularly in light of number of accidental gun deaths; highlights smart gun designed by Kai Kloepfer as example of such technology; observes disconnect inherent in fact that society protects children from toys, but not guns. MORE

Jan. 16, 2015

Gov Rick Snyder of Michigan vetoes controversial gun legislation, saying it would allow those accused of domestic abuse to obtain concealed pistol licenses; decision comes despite intense pressure from NRA, which endorsed Snyder in last election, and approval by wide margins in State Legislature. MORE

Jan. 16, 2015

Editorial applauds Michigan Gov Rick Snyder for vetoing measure allowing abusers in domestic violence and stalking cases to own gun unless specifically banned by judge from doing so; holds measure, passed by Republican lawmakers at urging of National Rifle Association, would have intensified risks for women caught in domestic violence situations; praises Snyder as rare Republican leader willing to stand up to gun lobby. MORE

Jan. 11, 2015

Editorial observes that Texas may pass legislation that will allow gun owners to carry handguns openly as it is priority of Republican majority in State Legislature and of Gov-elect Greg Abbott; laments that debate in Texas over whether to allow open-carrying of handguns is barometer of where nation finds itself in gun debate, despite numerous deaths by firearms either by accident or by disturbed individuals. MORE

Jan. 3, 2015

Gun control advocates turn their attention to state ballot initiatives to push their agenda after suffering setbacks in Congress, using same-sex marriage movement as a model; groups have recast their cause as public health and safety movement, and are homing in on areas where polling has shown voter support for initiatives like expanded background checks. MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

Investigation into August shooting death of newly sworn American citizen May Araim, Muslim who wore a headscarf, in Helen, Ga, remains full of questions and loose ends; lawyers for Houston man Glenn Lampien insist that Araim was killed by bullet after Lampien drunkenly shot himself in the hand; case has aroused persistent suspicion of discrimination and criticism of state law that allowed Lampien to carry a concealed weapon. MORE

Dec. 16, 2014

Analysis of United Nations' Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 reveals that far more homicides are committed with firearms in the Americas than in any other part of the world, in large part due to lax gun laws. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

Pew Research Center survey finds that a majority of Americans say it is more important to protect the right to own guns than for government to limit access to firearms; is first time in two decades of surveys that group found such a majority. MORE

Dec. 4, 2014

Editorial cites comprehensive study by Connecticut's Office of the Child Advocate that finds Adam Lanza's deteriorating mental illness, as well as his 'unfettered' access to firearms, were both factors leading to 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School; holds report trounces gun lobby's argument that such massacres are solely the result of uncontained mental illness. MORE

Nov. 12, 2014

Analysts say failure of Colorado State Senators Bernie Herpin and George Rivera, pro-gun Republican lawmakers, to win re-election after winning office in recall election in 2013 is a lesson in how turnout vastly changes landscape of politics in the state. MORE

Nov. 6, 2014

Editorial points out that in many states, voters approved ballot measures that were directly at odds with positions of many Republican candidates who won; notes high-profile and often contentious ballot measures that voters approved involved issues regarding minimum wage, marijuana legalization, criminal justice reform, abortion rights, gun control and environmental protection. MORE

Nov. 4, 2014

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column examines work of Mike Weisser, Massachusetts gun dealer and advocate for new approach to gun control that emphasizes the public health aspect of gun violence; notes Weisser is passionate about the need for doctors to become a bigger part of the debate over gun safety, in way similar to their central role in the smoking debate. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

Presence of two diametrically opposed gun measures on Washington State ballot is sowing confusion among voters; one proposal would impose additional background checks on gun purchasers, while the other forbids state expansion of background checks; if both pass, they will cancel each other out. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

Editorial holds Washington State's vote on whether to require deeper background checks of gun buyers provides crucial opportunity for voters to bypass a Congress too timid to pass reforms; notes import of vote extends well beyond Washington, and that decision will influence policy in other states; asserts vote of approval would provide significant evidence of large-scale popular resistance to gun culture touted by National Rifle Association. MORE

Oct. 29, 2014

Editorial welcomes formation of coalition of prosecutors from 30 major cities that seeks to treat gun casualties as urgent public health and safety issue; notes that group, Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, is intent on tracking black-market gun runners and dealing with mental health issues and guns, in absence of any action from Congress. MORE

Oct. 28, 2014

Advertising column; Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is encouraging parents to ask other parents if there are guns in their homes before letting their children play there. MORE

Oct. 26, 2014

Op-Ed article by Charles C W Cooke, staff writer at National Review, examines history of guns in African-American culture; argues that firearms have been indispensable to black liberation, and that blacks should be proud of their place in the battle for Second Amendment rights; holds that while many black Americans have a mixed relationship with the right to bear arms, they are actually natural allies of the National Rifle Assn. MORE

Oct. 25, 2014

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo's package of gun laws known as Safe Act, passed after mass shooting in Newtown, Conn, plays well downstate but alienates upstate voters; some gun owners complain process moved far too quickly, and state officials have run into legal hiccups and technological challenges since laws were enacted; critics also say Cuomo administration has not been transparent in putting laws into effect. MORE

Oct. 25, 2014

Former New York City Mayor Michael R Bloomberg is injecting $1.7 million into closely contested race for governor in Connecticut, with ad drawing attention to gun control bill signed by Gov Dannel P Malloy in aftermath of Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre; Malloy's Republican challenger Thomas C Foley has stated that, if elected, he would sign a repeal of the gun control bill. MORE

Oct. 25, 2014

Gail Collins Op-Ed column holds school shooting in Washington has once again turned America's attention to issue of gun control, and specifically voter initiatives that would require background checks in gun sales; contends background checks are controversial only because National Rifle Association opposes them; accuses NRA of wielding heavy-handed refusal to compromise and bleak world view in service of gun sellers who oppose regulation. MORE

Oct. 21, 2014

Through a clever bit of photo manipulation, a new ad by the N.R.A. puts Iowa’s Democratic Senate nominee, Bruce Braley, next to the man many gun owners consider their nemesis: Michael R. Bloomberg. MORE

Oct. 20, 2014

Gov Andrew M Cuomo defends New York State law known as the Safe Act that has made it easier to take guns away from people deemed mentally unstable; Cuomo pushed for gun law, which also bans assault weapons, after mass shooting in Newtown, Conn; Cuomo's statements follow campaign speech in the Bronx that was interrupted by protesters. MORE

Oct. 19, 2014

Database of New Yorkers deemed too mentally unstable to carry firearms has grown to roughly 34,500 names; database was established in aftermath of mass shooting in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn; size of database has raised concerns among some mental health advocates that too many people have been categorized as dangerous. MORE

Oct. 18, 2014

Debate over openly carrying firearms in Castle Rock, Colo, has revealed divide between town, and state's, conservative establishment and newer, more liberal residents. MORE

Oct. 6, 2014

Editorial welcomes new California law, first in the nation, that allows concerned family members to petition a court to seize the firearms of an unstable family member; notes law comes in wake of rampage by Elliot Rodger, who killed six people and himself after his mother had warned authorities of his increasingly erratic behavior. MORE

Oct. 1, 2014

California Gov Jerry Brown signs into law measure that makes it the first state to allow private citizens to ask a court to seize guns from family members who they believe pose a threat to themselves or the public; legislation was introduced in direct response to shooting in Isla Vista by Elliot Rodger, who killed six people and wounded more than a dozen others. MORE

Sep. 28, 2014

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column describes being chastised on social media for going to stranger's house to retrieve his lost phone; questions why Americans tolerate a society so bristling with guns that such an act could be thought of as perilous; calls for gun control measures that enjoy popular support, like universal background checks before gun purchase. MORE

Sep. 27, 2014

Editorial notes Federal Bureau of Investigation study showing that multiple-casualty shooting sprees have risen from 6.4 per year in 2000 to 2006 period to 16.4 per year from 2007 to 2013; contends that lateness of study, first of its kind, points to gun lobby's power to suppress information needed to gain support for stronger gun safety laws; calls for more information to be made available and more attention paid to worsening problem. MORE

Sep. 27, 2014

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column observes that it is often difficult for the average person to envision a future that is different from present; notes articles by Daniel Webster, director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, and Roger Martin, former dean of Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, predicting future changes in gun control and income inequality, situations that may appear intractable to some. MORE

Sep. 24, 2014

Washington City Council votes unanimously to allow people to carry concealed handguns in the capital for the first time in nearly 40 years. MORE

Sep. 14, 2014

News analysis; ban on assault weapons has been popular among voters and was one of pillars of Obama administration's plan to curb gun violence, despite fact that law barring sale of such weapons from 1994 to 2004 made little difference in gun deaths. MORE

Aug. 29, 2014

Editorial expresses horror at death of shooting instructor after 9-year-old girl lost control of Uzi submachine gun at shooting range in Arizona; laments that death will likely not lead to any sensible gun control policies. MORE

Aug. 5, 2014

James S Brady, White House press secretary who was wounded in an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and then became a symbol of the fight for gun control, championing tighter regulations from his wheelchair, dies at age 73. MORE

Aug. 2, 2014

Op-Ed article by lawyers Paul Sherman and Robert McNamara examines recent appeals court ruling upholding Florida law that bars doctors from asking their patients about gun ownership in certain contexts; argues that ruling presents a sweeping blow to free speech and gives government broad authority to decide what doctors can and cannot say during consultation; calls on Supreme Court to strike down ruling. MORE

Jul. 31, 2014

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column points to regulation of automobiles, resulting in 95 percent reduction in fatalities since 1921, as evidence that such governance can save lives; holds fact that United States does not regulate firearms in same way points to national blind spot about guns; calls for enactment of sensible safety measures to reduce gun-related injuries and deaths. MORE

Jul. 30, 2014

District of Columbia officials are weighing whether to appeal decision by Federal District Court striking down city's decades-old ban on carrying handguns in public. MORE